Utafiti umefanikiwa kutengeneza na kujaribu chombo kinachofanana na tumbo la uzazi kwenye kondoo wachanga, na hivyo kutoa tumaini kwa watoto wanaozaliwa kabla ya wakati katika siku zijazo.
An bandia tumbo iliyoundwa na kuendelezwa kwa nia ya kusaidia watoto waliozaliwa kabla ya wakati dhaifu imeonyeshwa kwa mafanikio kwa mara ya kwanza katika wanyama (kondoo wachanga hapa). Utafiti huu ulichapishwa katika Nature Communications is a major scientific breakthrough for the year 2017 and has generated immense hope for preterm newborns. This is the kind of study that immediately strikes a chord with the general public as it has a huge potential to affect the lives of millions of preterm babies duniani kote.
Kuiga tumbo
Utafiti huo ulioongozwa na Profesa Alan Flake, daktari wa upasuaji na mkurugenzi wa Kituo cha Utafiti wa Fetal katika Kituo cha Uchunguzi na Tiba ya Fetal katika Hospitali ya Watoto ya Philadelphia, Marekani unaonyesha kuwa wana-kondoo wanaozaliwa kabla ya muda (sawa na wiki 23 au 24 za ujauzito. watoto wachanga) walihifadhiwa hai na pia walionekana kukua kawaida wakati wa kuelea ndani ya uwazi, kama tumbo chombo cha usaidizi au chombo, kinachoitwa "Biobag".
This current novel system mimics life in the uterus as closely as possible by utilizing knowledge from previous neonatal research. It uses a distinctive fluid-filled plastic container or vessel attached to other custom-designed machines which provide the necessary physiological support. The fetal lambs grows in a sealed, temperature-controlled, sterile environment insulated from any variations (temperature, pressure or light) and hazardous infections, while breathing amniotic fluid as they normally would do in the womb. The baby’s heart pumps blood via the umbilical cord into the system’s low-resistance external oxygenator that very intelligently substitutes for the mother’s placenta in exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide. This is extremely necessary since at this gestation period baby’s lungs are not developed yet to breathe in oxygen from the atmosphere. Different electronic monitors continuously measure their vital signs. For the system to be successful, its inflow and outflow apparatus have been continuously designed and redesigned at regular intervals. The lambs successfully continued to grow in the Biobag for full four weeks (670 hr over 28 days) after their birth and showed normal breathing, swallowing, eye movement, activity signs, sprouted wool and a very normal growth and organ maturation. Researchers call this as an “awe-inspiring sight” but nevertheless, they state that their system needs continuous evaluation and refinement.
The researchers did not try to extend viability to an earlier period than the current mark of 23 weeks because of several limitations which increase risks, including size, physiological functioning would impose unacceptably high risks. Most of the lambs from the study were euthanized before they reached full term for further evaluation; however one is now a afya grown sheep.
Kuzaliwa kabla ya wakati: mzigo mkubwa
Imetabiriwa kuwa watoto milioni 15 wa binadamu huzaliwa kabla ya wakati (kabla ya wiki 37) kila mwaka duniani kote na idadi hii inaongezeka tu. Kiwango cha kuzaliwa kabla ya wakati ni kati ya 5% hadi 18% ya watoto wanaozaliwa katika nchi 184 ulimwenguni. Matatizo yanayotokea kutokana na kuzaliwa kabla ya wakati ndio sababu kuu ya vifo kati ya watoto walio chini ya umri wa miaka 5.
Vifo vingi vya watoto wachanga vinachangiwa na watoto wachanga hata baada ya kuboreka kwa kiasi kikubwa katika mazoea ya utunzaji wa watoto wachanga. Na ingawa watoto wachanga dhaifu ambao wanaweza kuishi katika kipindi cha wiki 23-23 (asilimia 30-50 wanaishi), bado wanapaswa kuteseka kutokana na ubora duni wa maisha, wanakabiliwa na matatizo ya afya ya kudumu na hata ulemavu wa maisha katika matukio mengi. Pia, upatikanaji wa huduma ya kiwango cha juu huathiri matokeo tofauti katika kila kesi. Matukio haya pia huweka mzigo wa kifedha na kihisia kwa wazazi na pia sekta ya afya.
Sasa kondoo, kinachofuata ni wanadamu?
This study tests and monitors the effects on fetal lambs and it is already known that prenatal lung development in sheep is very similar to humans. Though the sheep brains develop at a somewhat different pace than humans. The current system will need to downsized for human infants, who are around one-third the size of the infant lambs that were used in the study. If it is similarly successful for human babies in the coming 1-2 decades, there is an astonishing likelihood that extremely premature infants will continue to develop in chambers or vessels that are filled with womb like amniotic fluid, rather than relying on incubators supported by ventilators and won’t have to suffer from multiple invasive procedures.
Human testing which can be carried forward from this study is still, realistically speaking, a couple of decades away, but this study definitely predicts possible similar success on human infants. The main aim is to cross the threshold of 28 weeks for human premature babies, which then reduces any severe outcomes on life. Such an extra-uterine system/artificial womb if developed for growth and organ maturation for only just a few weeks can dramatically improve outcomes for premature human babies.
Hii ni sayansi ya kuvutia, isiyo ya kawaida
Looking at this study, we could start imagining a world where babies can grow in an artificially simulated womb thus eliminating possible health risks of pregnancy which affect the mother as well as the unborn baby. However, we cannot get carried away with these thoughts, because removing the most important element – “the creator and nurturer of life” – the mother from the entire process would really make growth of babies (from 0 till 9 months) a stuff of science fiction with the entire early development happening literally on a machine. The idea which researchers have propagated is not to “entirely eliminate” mothers but rather provide a technology to reduce and/or prevent mortality and morbidity caused by preterm births.
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Chanzo (s)
Partridge EA et al. 2017. Mfumo wa ziada wa uterasi ili kusaidia mwana-kondoo aliyekithiri mapema. Hali Mawasiliano. 8 (15112) http://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms15112.
